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ASHTABULA – Fifty-six employees from Cristal Global and their family members visited G.O. Ministries on Ashtabula’s Station Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 16, to wrap up a week of projects conducted at the faith-based social service aimed at improving, cleaning and generally sprucing up the building.
The project was part of an annual public service “giving back” effort for employees at Cristal’s Plant 1, according to Chris Morrison, a technical trainer at Cristal who helped with the G.O. Ministries job.
“This is our way of giving back to the community,” Morrison said. “We do it every year. We partnered with G.O. Ministries because it’s such a worthwhile cause. They do so much for the community and it’s all run completely on donations.”
Over the week prior to Sept. 16, Cristal employees installed new LED light fixtures and ceiling tiles in two of the work spaces at the former Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, repaired a large exhaust fan and the dishwasher in the building’s kitchen and replaced a drinking fountain in the gymnasium.
On Saturday, employees turned out in the morning to spend the day scrubbing tiles and painting the building’s interior and doors.
“It’s fantastic what these people have done here today and in the last week,” G.O. Civic Development Corporation President Drew Thomas said. “The LED lighting and what they’ve done today is really going to help our dollars go a lot farther. A big building like this is always going to need some kind of maintenance. We’re really fortunate to have a company like Cristal that takes pride in their community to help out like this.”
Employees and families at Cristal also conducted a month-long food and clothing drive, delivering seven truckloads of nonperishable food items, clothing and shoes for G.O. Ministries.
G.O. Ministries operates a food pantry, serves free meals to area residents, teaches computer literacy, hosts a library, operates a clothing bank and holds after school activities for local youth. The building also serves as home to Helping Independent Parents (HIP), an assistance program for new parents in need of necessities for infants, as well as Birthcare of Ashtabula County, a nonprofit providing information and support as well as assitance with baby items such as diapers, formula, clothing, baby furniture and other necessities for new parents.
Thomas said between 100 and 150 people pass through the doors at G.O. Ministries every day and Cristal’s efforts have helped the organization toward meeting its mission goals immensely.
“What they’re doing today is going to help families put food on their plate,” Thomas said. “The facility does some great things, it’s in a great location to do it and because of people like Cristal who come out and help is why we’re successful.”
Pictured are Quinn Van Arsdale (left) and her sister Hannah Van Arsdale (right), two of 56 employees and family members from Cristal Global who took part in a cleanup and repair project at G.O. Ministries on Saturday, Sept. 16. Volunteers conducted repairs, cleaned and painted the building as well as making a delivery of seven truckloads of food, clothing and shoes to the Ashtabula nonprofit social service ministry.
SAYBROOK — St. John School has announced the recipients of its 2017 Youth Philanthropy Board grants. The Ashtabula Foundation provides each Ashtabula County high school with the opportunity to award $5,000 in grants to area non-profit organizations, and St. John’s Philanthropy Board received a number of proposals this year.
In addition to funding provided by The Ashtabula Foundation, St. John students have been making monetary donations on school sponsored dress-down days and the Philanthropy Board will be awarding additional funds to some local non-profits at the end of the school year. Saint John’s Philanthropy Board 2017 grants have been awarded to the following non-profit organizations with their listed projects:
• Birthcare, Inc., of Ashtabula County: Purchasing diapers and formula for local newborns.
• Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County: Purchasing of turkey, ham and other perishable food items for the Thankful Hearts Program to provide area families with Thanksgiving meals.
• Farm for Christ: Purchase beef cattle to be distributed to Ashtabula County families in need.
• Our Lady of Peace Parish Neighbor to Neighbor Food Pantry: Purchase additional fresh (non-processed) meat to provide healthier meals to the families they serve.
• G.O. Community Development Corporation: Purchase additional items to better stock the clothing bank for local families in need.
• Learning About Business (LAB): Purchase additional programming opportunities for area high school sophomores and juniors to participate in an interactive program exploring future business careers.
• Mya Women’s Center: Purchase infant car seats for families in need to transport their newborns home from the hospital.
Homesafe along with Octavia Yates, Teen Coordinator at the Ashtabula County YMCA and G.O. Community Development Corp., will be hosting a community event, BREAK THE SILENCE—ONE BILLON RISING. A call to action to bring attention to the escalation of violence and exploitation of women. On Tuesday, February 28 at 5pm in the G.O. gym, we call everyone to take action in our local community. To use dance as a form of protest that takes place in our community with other activists, with people of all abilities, demanding justice and systematic changes against violence. Join us to rise up together for change and equality.
The One Billion Rising 2017 Campaign means we are rising in solidarity against the exploitation of women. 1 in 3 women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. Every February, we rise – in hundreds of countries across the world – to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face. We rise through dance to express joy and community and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.
Breaking the Silence: Risings are community led and determined events. Communities gather together to witness the power of holding space for testimonials, determined to make sure no other girl has to endure that type of violence in her community again.
We invite men and boys to support the call to end violence against women and girls, reminding their communities that this is not only a women’s issue and that its impact can be felt by pledging to live in a non-violent community together.
Please join us Tuesday, February 28 at 5PM to listen to inspirational speakers, learn about community services available to help, and dance to rise together for change in our community.
Homesafe, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit community agency, committed to breaking the cycle of violence in Ashtabula County and its surrounding areas through the provision of emergency and non-emergency services. Our mission is to assure greater awareness of the problems of domestic violence and abuse through the education and empowerment of individuals, families, and the community.
Syllabi, quizzes, homework and lists on dry-erase boards are common denominators to many high school teachers, but what about a teacher who is still in high school?
Lakeside High School senior, Olajuwan Smith, 17, has taken it upon himself to create and teach basic and intermediate computer literacy classes at G.O. Ministries on Station Avenue.
Smith said he started teaching his first basic level computer class in May. His current class is intermediate level and made up of students that graduated from the first class. Upon completing the first class, each student received an ASUS laptop with Windows 8, made possible by a grant from the York Foundation.
Smith developed his own curriculum, syllabus, quizzes, tests and assignments. His current class has six students, the oldest one being 90 years old. Classes are held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
He said he wants to go to college for computer engineering, but his students insisted he should go for a teaching degree. “Olajuwan is a great teacher,” said Dee Jones. “He’s very knowledgeable. He makes sure we all understand.”
Student Mae Salters said, “It was an inspiration to complete our studies knowing we’d get a laptop for completing. I was computer illiterate before I came to this class.”
Salters, whose husband is the pastor at G.O. Ministries, said they are seeking a grant to get an elevator or wheel chair lift for the stairs because the class is held on the second floor and many senior citizens are interested in the class.
Smith said computers and equipment used in the classroom were provided by Patrick Colucci, the Superintendent of Ashtabula Area City Schools.
Smith will graduate in May, and has already been accepted to West Virginia University, and said he has
applied to Ohio University, and is in the process of applying to Ohio State University.
“We hope to have him back for classes during his breaks,” Salters said.
